I never need an excuse to eat breakfast food.  For me, it isn’t that it’s the most important meal of the day, but rather the best food of the day.  When I’m at home, I often have two breakfasts….a boring bowl of oatmeal when I first wake up (almost like a breakfast appetizer) and then a few cups of coffee later, I make more breakfast – eggs, bacon, toast, waffles or something equally delicious.  And if I discover a new recipe that I love, we even have it for dinner.   So when I
learned that Carmel Café & Wine Bar opened up for brunch in Sarasota, I was all too eager to get my breakfast on. 

I convinced myself to branch out and try a non-breakfast item as an appetizer.  I settled on the Tomato Margherita Flatbread which later proved the perfect choice.  It came out the perfectly hot – with the perfect combination of plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan Reggiano, and basil.  I was tempted to eat the whole thing but restrained myself, remembering to leave room for breakfast.  The most important food of the day.

Now, if you haven’t been to Carmel, you should know that they have a trendy ordering process.  You order on an iPad.  You scroll through all the menu options; each item has a picture and thorough description, and you place your order at our own pace.  Being a bit of an old lady at heart, it took me a while to get the hang of the iPad but I was cruising through it pretty quickly.

For my entrée, I went with the Stuffed French Toast and a side of Carmel
Signature Potatoes.  The Stuffed French Toast was filled with Fontina, Provolone, ham and a little bit of heaven.  It was truly the best I’ve ever had, and speaking as a self-proclaimed French toast connoisseur, that’s an impressive feat.  Carefully fried and the perfect balance of meat and cheese made this an instant favorite.  But, it was not to be out staged by the potatoes which came in an almost over-sized fry shape.   I was pleasantly surprised by how full of flavor they were.  I could taste peppers, feta and parmesan cheeses.  They certainly held their own – I didn’t even need to reach for the ketchup.  

My experience was truly over the top.  The food was reasonably priced and was
exceptional in flavor and presentation.  We definitely plan to go back.  Carmel is located on Carmel Creek Boulevard and is open for brunch from 11:30-2:30.  In addition to serving brunch items, they also feature salads, sandwiches, and small and large plates during their brunch hours.  (Also, I hear they are hosting a special wine dinner on September 20 with Antinori Wines.   Can’t wait!)